HRG
ARCHITECT
01 ABOUT
HRG Architect Inc. is a full-service architecture firm specializing in custom residential design such as homes, cottages, boathouses, and accessory structures. It was established in 2023 by Heather Gibbons who is a licensed Architect with over 10 years of experience in the design and construction industry. She is passionate about residential design and working with her clients to bring their ideas to life through thoughtful, detailed design.
02 PROCESS
At HRG Architect Inc., we bring your dreams to life. We provide an extensive one-stop shop for everything you need to take your project through the stages of inspiration, design, construction documentation, building permit, and construction management. We endeavour to make the design process as smooth and exciting as possible.
PLANNING
Many projects require site plan approvals before the issuance of a building permit. During the planning and pre-design phase, we will identify the planning requirements of the site which need to be addressed in order to realize the site’s full development potential. This will be accomplished through the process of:
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Meeting clients on their property to see what they envision for their build,
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Confirming site suitability and determining the ideal building location for their project,
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Documenting any natural features or views that they wish to express in the design,
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Locating existing on-site infrastructure,
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Producing zoning reports and proposed site plans that will indicate the maximum building footprint, setbacks, height, and other bylaw or zoning restrictions, and
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Acting on behalf of the client with the township or municipality throughout the planning process.
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When done properly, site planning will improve the overall experience by creating a building that uniquely suits your property.
PRE-DESIGN
Typically, pre-design happens concurrently with site planning. In this phase, we want to truly understand what the client wishes to achieve in the build and how they want to live and use the space. During the pre-design process, we will:
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Review the requirements and organization of the building program,
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Establish preliminary space planning, room locations and sizes, relationships between spaces, and views,
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Confirm the budget for the project, and
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Identify favoured design elements and the preferred architectural aesthetic,
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This information will be transformed into a schematic design and several options will be presented to the client with an explanation of the negative and positive attributes of each concept. Client feedback on the design options will be incorporated into a new design which will be developed in the next phase. The schematic design will be used for site plan approvals with the township or municipality.
DESIGN DEVELOPMENT
Once the schematic design is approved in the pre-design phase, the design development phase begins. In this phase, we will take the schematic ideas and further develop it into a complete design. This will be accomplished by:
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Developing detailed floor plans and elevations,
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Creating 3D renderings with material suggestions,
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Preparing window and door schedules,
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Consulting with HVAC and energy efficiency professionals, and
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Conferring with truss manufacturers and structural engineers if they are required.
CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENTATION
In many instances, clients prefer the construction documents phase to be divided into two separate phases.
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The first phase of documents and drawings is referred to as Permit Drawings. In this phase, drawings are detailed to the extent necessary or required to receive a building permit from the township or municipality. In some instances, this is all that a client may require or want for a basic dock, deck, covered entry, basic garage, or a similar project.
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The second phase of documents and drawings is often called Construction Drawings. If projects are more complex, a client may request that Construction Drawings be provided. Construction Drawings offer highly detailed instructions that outline the assembly and installation of each component of the building. The depth of information provided in the Construction Drawings significantly decreases the amount of on-site assumptions made by the contractor. This can reduce the number of mistakes made during construction and the amount of time spent by the contractor resolving conflicts they may face. This in turn reduces labour, creates fewer changes, and allows for faster construction. Also, Construction Drawings allow for a complete cost estimate since all items are clearly detailed and outlined.
PERMIT SUBMISSION
HRG Architect Inc. will act on the client’s behalf for any permit application and submission process with the township or municipality. Submissions for your project may include: site plan, septic, and building permit. We will ensure that all applications are completed accurately with supporting documentation.
TENDERING
If the client chooses to do so, HRG Architect Inc. can put the job out to tender and act on behalf of the client to request bids from a pre-selected list of builders. HRG Architect Inc. will:
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Prepare the documents and drawings for each bidder to review,
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Address any questions the bidders may have,
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Issue any addenda to the construction documents and drawings to all bidders,
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Review all submitted bids, and
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Prepare a tender breakdown report to compare the bids.
CONSTRUCTION REVIEW AND MANAGEMENT
During the construction of your project, it is recommended that clients retain construction review and management service to act as their eyes and ears. This protects their interests and ensures that the project is being constructed as it was designed and to the quality that is expected. Construction management services can be tailored to each specific project to provide any level of service for the client. Often management will include reviewing the project with building inspectors at time of inspection or providing the contractors with quantity calculations. Clients can choose to include:
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Progress and construction documents compliancy reporting,
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Scheduled site meetings and reviews,
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Invoice and payment release approvals, and
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Deficiency reports for their project no matter what level of complexity of the build.